The NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights is an academic research and advocacy organization at the New York University Stern School of Business founded in March 2013. It is the first center to focus on human rights as an integral part of a business school.
Contents
The Center was co-founded and currently is co-directed by Michael Posner, former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and Sarah Labowitz, former State Department Policy Adviser for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and the Secretary’s Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues.
Background
The mission of the center is “to challenge and empower companies and future business leaders to make practical progress on human rights.”
The Center conducts academic research and offers courses covering business and human rights topics to undergraduate and MBA students. It also conducts policy advocacy aimed at changing business practices to be more respectful of human rights.
Research
The Center conducts research across business sectors to examine how business practices influence human rights outcomes. The Center’s first major report “Business as Usual is Not an Option” was released in April 2014. The report centered on the garment industry in Bangladesh and was launched on the first anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse.
Advocacy
The Center seeks to increase respect for human rights in different sectors by participating in public debates and convening meetings and events.